Interview: Abe Lagrimas, Jr. talks music, working with taiko players, and his new album

Abe Lagrimas, Jr. (photo by Greg Hatton)

I recently had a fun conversation with Abe Lagrimas, Jr., a Los Angeles-based musician, composer, educator, and author. Abe and I have been working for the past several years as members of On Ensemble and it's always a pleasure to share the stage together. He is an outstanding musician who plays drums, vibraphone, and ukulele, and consistently adds color and spark to elevate the music. Audiences love his technical flair, yet as a bandmate I truly appreciate Abe's fine-tuned ear and his flexibility to instantly adapt to any situation. He makes any band sound better and it's no surprise to learn that he is very much in high demand. In addition to On Ensemble, Abe and I have worked extensively with the preeminent taiko artist Kenny Endo. It's always interesting for me to chat with musicians with similar points of view, and as a jazz musician, Abe had some very insightful observations about working with taiko players. It would be wonderful if everyone shared such an open and forward-thinking mindset about art, culture, and everyday life. This conversation also contains more humorous bits than usual, reflecting Abe's easygoing personality.

The interview features music from Abe's fantastic new self-titled album. The excerpted tracks are: Alternate Route, Sunday Dance, Nu'uanu Mist, End Of The Road, and Tanimoto. The album features a great group of musicians playing Abe's jazz-leaning original compositions, expressing a nice balance of varying feels, tempos, and moods. The links for the CD and digital download are below, and I highly recommend you check them out. Abe's website is also worth visiting to learn about upcoming shows, find his previous albums, and sign up for his newsletter. 

---

Website
abelagrimasjr.com

Physical Album
https://squareup.com/store/abelagrimasjr/item/abe-new-cd

Digital Download
https://passoutrecords.bandcamp.com/album/abe-lagrimas-jr

Abe Lagrimas, Jr. is a musician, composer, educator, and author who plays the drums, vibraphone, ukulele, and studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. In 2012, he competed in the highly prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drums Competition and has worked with many artists such as Eric Marienthal, Eric Reed, Kamasi Washington, Dontae Winslow, Barbara Morrison, Michelle Coltrane, Jake Shimabukuro, Kenny Endo, and continues to be an in-demand session musician in Los Angeles. 

As a solo ukulele artist, Abe is a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award recipient and has released multiple albums in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Abe has been featured at ukulele festivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Reno, Chicago, New York, and Hawaii. His international performances include Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Great Britain, and toured extensively throughout China having performed in twelve cities. 

Abe is also an educator and has authored the first ever ukulele curriculum for instrumental music programs in schools titled “Ukulele Ensemble, Beginning Ukulele - Level 1”published by Consonus Music Institute. His latest book "Jazz Ukulele: Comping, Soloing, Chord Melodies" (Berklee Press & Hal Leonard) is available in stores worldwide and on Amazon.

Interview: Bruce Huebner talks shakuhachi, Japanese music, and the multicultural life

Bruce Huebner on shakuhachi 

Since the very beginning of my blog's interview series, Bruce Huebner was high on my list of people I wanted to feature. I'm happy that we finally coordinated our busy schedules and time difference to record this conversation. Bruce and I first met in Vancouver, BC in 2014 to work on a project with the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra, and I felt an immediate musical connection and an ease of communication as if we had known each other for years. I think this comes through clearly in our conversation.

Shortly after, we played a duo concert on Christmas day at a Tokyo live house called Tsukiji Mugenryu. It was a full program of originals, jazz and rock covers, Japanese folk melodies, and a few winter holiday tunes mixed in - all arranged for shakuhachi and vibraphone. We had a fun gig and received an enthusiastic audience response, and we decided to bring our music to the US. In 2015, we put together a concert tour of Oregon and California, playing in a wide range of venues and culminating in two appearances at the San Francisco World Percussion Arts Festival.

In the interview, we discuss Bruce's musical background, his first experiences with the shakuhachi, attending GeiDai (Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku, or University of the Arts), making the transition from flute and saxophone to shakuhachi, creating music with influences from around the world, and much more. The music tracks included are:

Kiss Me Now (Bruce Huebner, Tomoya Hara, Mark Tourian, Sendo Saori)
Falling Leaves (Bruce Huebner, Gunnar Linder)
Fond Memories (Bruce Huebner, Curtis Patterson)
Spanish Wind (Bruce Huebner, Koufuu Suwa)
Kashmir (Bruce & Eien)

---

Bruce Huebner on shakuhachi

Yokohama-based Californian Bruce Huebner received his MA in traditional Kinko style shakuhachi from Tokyo University of Fine Arts in 1993 where he studied under Yamaguchi Goro (National Treasure) as a Monbusho Scholar.  After a seminal six-year professorship in Fukushima Prefecture,  he returned to Tokyo in 2000 and founded the jazz-world group Candela with pianist/composer Jonathan Katz.  The critically acclaimed group featured the shakuhachi in Japan, American and European tours and on numerous recordings.  In 2007 he began the popular "Cherry Blossom Tours" with koto player Curtis Patterson. In 2011 his "Zabu Tone Music" label released their eighth CD, "ZUI" produced with jazz guitarist Tomoya Hara.  He is a also a musical spokesman who has appeared on NHK BS TV, Tedx, Nihon TV, and he has conducted numerous lecture concerts in schools, community centres, clubs, temples, and colleges, including Rome University, Kent State, St Lawrence University, New York, and the University of British Columbia. He has performed over 80 concerts in Tohoku since 3/11.

Website
http://shakuhachibruce.net

Bruce & Eien project
https://www.eienhunterishikawa.com/bruce-eien/

Interview: Kenny Endo talks Edo Bayashi and Wakayama Shachu

Photo credit: Toyo Miyatake Studio

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with Kenny Endo about Edo Bayashi and Wakayama Shachu. Kenny needs no introduction among taiko players, as he is one of the most important artists and teachers in the development of the North American taiko scene. I could have asked him about so many different topics, but this interview was focused on Kenny's experiences while living in Japan and his insights into the growing interest in Edo Bayashi (traditional festival music of Tokyo) and Kotobuki Jishi (traditional lion dance of Tokyo) outside of Japan. 

I had known Kenny as a kid growing up near Tokyo in Saitama. He was studying hogaku hayashi (classical Japanese music, such as noh and kabuki) with Saburo Mochizuki, and I was part of a youth taiko ensemble taught by Saburo sensei. In the interview, we talk about one memorable performance at the Maruki Bijutsukan (museum of internationally acclaimed artists Iri and Toshi Maruki) where my youth group shared the stage with Sukeroku Daiko's Saburo sensei, his wife, Kenny, and Yukihiro Miyauchi in a presentation of Edo Bayashi and other pieces. Many years later, I moved to Honolulu to study with Kenny and perform as a member of his ensemble. When I mention to someone that I also got a master of music degree from the University of Hawaii on the side, it sounds like a funny joke but it's true. Kenny was my reason for being there, and I was lucky that the UH music program had a no-thesis degree option where I could present a one-hour recital instead.

It was especially interesting to hear Kenny's stories about Wakayama sensei, Maru sensei, Suzuki sensei, and the early days of introducing this music to North America. Whether you are into Edo Bayashi or not, hearing Kenny's thoughts about taiko, traditional music, and learning perpetually is invaluable. Our conversation was on a specific and narrow topic so some readers may want to do some additional research to fill in the contextual holes. A good place to start would be my content relating to Suzuki sensei at the links below. Kenny kindly provided some of his music to be included in the interview. The tracks are Forest Festival, Spirit of Rice, and Symmetrical Soundscapes, which are on his albums Jugoya, Hibiki, and Eternal Energy. We chose these excerpts because they highlight the influence of Edo Bayashi on Kenny's compositions. I have always noticed a distinct and unique quality in all of Kenny's albums. It's hard to describe in words, but I hear a combination of an exceptional concept of sound and an artistic vision expressed purely from the inner self.

https://www.eienhunterishikawa.com/kyosukesuzuki/

https://www.eienhunterishikawa.com/blog/2016/4/2/edo-bayashi-shishimai-expert-kyosuke-suzuki-sensei

https://www.eienhunterishikawa.com/blog/japan-trip-part-1

https://www.eienhunterishikawa.com/blog/summer-taiko-institute-kyosuke-suzuki

---

Photo credit: Kenji Yamazaki

About Kenny

Photo credit: Shuzo Uemoto

One of the leading personas in contemporary percussion and rhythm, KENNY ENDO is at the vanguard of the taiko genre, continuing to carve new territory in this Japanese style of drumming.  A performer, composer, and teacher of taiko, he has received numerous awards and accolades, including very special recognition in Japan—he was the first foreigner to be honored with a “natori,” a stage name, in Japanese classical drumming. Kenny Endo was a featured artist on the PBS special “Spirit of Taiko” in 2005.  He has performed for such musicians as the late Michael Jackson and Prince, opened for The Who, performed a duet with singer Bobby McFerrin, and is featured on the soundtracks for Kayo Hatta’s film “Picture Bride”, Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now”, and worked on James Cameron’s “Avatar”.  He has had a day named for him in by the Mayor of Honolulu “Kenny Endo Day”, and was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts for American Masterpieces. He has released 10 CDs of original music. Kenny is a consummate artist, blending Japanese taiko with rhythms influenced by his jazz background and by collaborations with artists from around the world.  Kenny's taiko are provided courtesy of Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten. 

www.kennyendo.com

Interview: Kiyoshi Nagata talks Daihachi Oguchi, Kodo, and the taiko artist life

Kiyoshi Nagata

I had a fun time talking with Kiyoshi Nagata, the founder and leader of Nagata Shachu based in Toronto. We first met in Vancouver at the 2008 Regional Taiko Gathering, and I remember how his workshops and concert performance were all great. In this conversation, I learned a lot about Kiyoshi's interesting background which included training from Osuwa Daiko's Daihachi Oguchi as well as Kodo's apprenticeship program. Nagata Shachu, his professional taiko ensemble, keeps a busy schedule with tours, recordings, and an impressive array of artistic collaborations. One of the most interesting aspects of Kiyoshi's group is the large number original compositions they have created and performed. His website lists this repertoire along with many other informative resources so I would encourage everyone to check it out at the link below. Another topic Kiyoshi discussed in depth was his teaching philosophy. I wanted to hear his perspective because he has taught taiko classes for credit at the University of Toronto and public classes at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Kiyoshi kindly sent me his newest CD/DVD set called Toronto Taiko Tales, and I have included some music from the album in the interview. I enjoyed it for the original compositions as well as the quality of the audio recording. The pieces are Hana, Enya Totto, Taichi no Sakebi, Tokiwa, Zare Shamisen, and Araumi. His youtube channel is full of concert footage so you can get a glimpse into the work of Nagata Shachu.

---

Kiyoshi Nagata

Kiyoshi Nagata, founder and artistic director of Nagata Shachu, has been performing in a career that spans 35 years. His principal studies were with Daihachi Oguchi (as artistic director and performer of the Toronto-based, Suwa Daiko from 1982 to 1992) and with Kodo (as an apprentice from 1993 to 1994). With the assistance of a Chalmers Performing Arts Training Grant in 1999, Kiyoshi studied classical percussion with Paul Houle at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Links
www.nagatashachu.com
facebook.com/nagatashachu
www.youtube.com/nagatashachu

Since 1998 Kiyoshi has taught a credit course in taiko at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. From 2003 to 2011, he established a public taiko course at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. For eight years, he instructed two community groups, Isshin Daiko in Toronto and Do-Kon Daiko in Burlington, which he helped establish in 1995. Kiyoshi is also regularly invited by universities and taiko groups to conduct workshops and present lectures.

In 1994, Kiyoshi founded the cross-cultural percussion ensemble, Humdrum, whose debut Toronto performance was ranked fourth in Now Magazine’s “Top Ten Concerts of 1995”. He has composed and performed taiko music for dance, theatre, film and radio and continues to collaborate with artists from all genres of music including traditional Japanese instrumentalists.

Interview: Katsuji Asano of Asano Taiko US - 日本語 (translated by Julia Asano)

Katsuji Asano of Asano Taiko US

I am very excited to feature Katsuji in this interview, which was superbly translated by Julia. It has been a pleasure working with Asano Taiko US (ATUS) and the Los Angeles Taiko Institute (LATI) since they opened their fantastic facility in Torrance, California - offering workshops, co-coordinating Kyosuke Suzuki sensei's US workshop tours, and helping to make Edo Bayashi materials available on their online store. My first visit to ATUS was filled with a sense of awe at the scale and commitment to quality in every detail. The two main studios are equipped with everything a drummer could want: high-tech sound dampening in the walls, beautiful floors and mirrors, white boards, amplifiers, comfortable temperature, and of course the incredible number of amazing taiko sitting there ready to play.

Asano Taiko US

Operating out of this facility is LATI, a one-of-a-kind taiko school offering an extensive array of classes taught by some of the most experienced and thoughtful teachers I know. I especially appreciate the balance of older and newer taiko forms originating from Japan as well as elsewhere. Because of its clear significance, ATUS has quickly become a hub of high-quality workshops, hosting a constant stream of musicians and educators offering an assortment of topics in various genres. 

Katsuji helped to fund my Edo Bayashi intensive in Tokyo in October 2016 where I was able to deepen my study of this festival music through one-on-one lessons with Suzuki sensei. I'm certain that his thoughtful responses in this interview provide insight into his vision of advancing the art form of taiko, and I'm happy to be involved in this symbiotic partnership. I also want to thank Julia for making this information available in English, capturing the essence of Katsuji's answers much better than I could have.

---

1. Can you describe the history of Asano Taiko and how Asano Taiko US (ATUS) was opened in Torrance, California?

Asano Taiko US in Torrance, California

私がアメリカの太鼓を初めてみたのはNATC2005年LA。この時「太鼓」が海外でこんなにも熱狂があるものかと衝撃をうけました。そして独自のコミュニティー、情報を共有するなど日本は無い形だった事に新鮮な気持ちと、このように発展してる太鼓界がとても面白く感じました。

Juliaとも出会い、アメリカの太鼓界にも少し関わったりする中、もしアメリカで太鼓屋の拠点があったらどうなのか？太鼓文化がもっともっと発展していくのでは？日本にも世界ににも良い影響が与えられるのでは？ビジネスになるのか？などたくさんの疑問から始まりました。太鼓文化の発展に関わる事ができたらどんなにやりがいのある事になるかと夢と希望が湧き、そして2011年のNATCの盛り上がりとお話を聞くなかででやろう！っと決め本格的に動きだしました。

場所の選定では西海岸、東海岸か。日系コミュニティー、太鼓チームが多い地区、日本との行き来、世界のハブ。

多方面の要素が踏まえLA近郊で決めました。LA近郊で治安問題を踏まえ探していくとまずは新しくてこれから発展していくアーバイン近郊が候補に入ってきましたが、交通の便、物件の良さがあったのでトーランスに決めました。

The first time I saw taiko being performed in America was at the 2005 North American Taiko Conference. I was surprised to see how popular taiko was and how different the U.S. taiko was from Japan. Taiko players in the U.S. are very open natured and willing to share their knowledge of taiko which was both surprising and interesting for me. 

After meeting Julia, I had opportunities to participate in many American taiko events and started to wonder, what if I started a business in the U.S.? Would the taiko community grow even more? Would Japan, or even on a larger scale, the world have any effect on this unforeseeable challenge I’m about to embark on? Can we make this a business? I started pondering many questions to myself. After attending the 2011 North American Taiko Conference and seeing the US taiko community again, I decided to take the first step and start the business.

My first debate was choosing the right location. Should I start the new business in the east coast or west coast? After researching which areas had the most taiko groups and a bigger Japanese community, I decided that Southern California is the place to be. I chose Torrance as the city due to its accessibility for commute and ideal properties. 

2. What is the Los Angeles Taiko Institute (LATI)?

Los Angeles Taiko Institute

http://taiko.la
LATI is a taiko institute housed in Asano Taiko U.S. located in Torrance, California. We opened in July 2013 (when Asano Taiko U.S. opened) and started with less than 20 students and now have over 200 students coming every week. We offer various types of classes for all levels and have 9 instructors who teach anywhere from 2 yr olds to students in their 70’s.

3. UnitOne, the ATUS taiko ensemble, consists of very experienced players. What is the artistic vision and mission for this group?

UnitOne at 2015 North American Taiko Conference

始めたきっかけ
How it started

日本の場合は島国、小民族で形成されていたので限られた音楽性（これは良い事であり、何百年と続いている伝統芸能などある）で次世代に繋がってきています。チームプレーに徹する事が日本の和太鼓の良さにもなっていると私は思っています。

Due to our country being an island nation, I believe that when it comes to musicality, the style of music becomes limited as they get passed on to the next generation (I would like to note that this is a good thing, as this is how traditional art have been continuously protected and honed over the generations). Because of its small ethnic group that Japan is based on, I believe it created strength in team play when it comes to expressing Japanese Taiko.

逆は独創がなかなか生まれにくい。持っているグルーブ感が限られている。アメリカでは色々な文化が入り混じり、様々なジャンルの音楽に触れ合う機会が多いです。そして人々の中にそういった日本にはない感性が多く入ってます。現在のアメリカの太鼓でよく見られるのは独創的な音楽性。一人一人の個性が非常に際立つ事。

However, the downside to this close-knit formation is that it becomes harder to create new and innovative music with originality. The groove feeling of the artists have become limited. But in America, various cultures and backgrounds intertwine, allowing many opportunities to interact with diverse genres of music. It from this melting pot where taiko in the U.S. have the sensibility that Japan has yet to experience. Taiko in America has its strength in originality, their ingenious musicality standing out in each and every player.

いと昔は日本と同じでチームとしての統一感があり、アメリカの太鼓文化も今まさに「変化」していっている状態だと思います。この日米のいいところを伸ばす事ができるチームが出来たらおもしろい！とおもいました。私が日本の良い所を取り入れながら、プレイヤー自身のもっているものを生かせればと。

Currently, I believe that taiko in both countries have the same sense of unity as a team which has always been unchanged, yet we are in a place where taiko culture is facing a shift before our very eyes and “transforming” into something new. Instinctively I felt that it would be amazing if we can develop a team that can incorporate the strengths from both countries!  My hope is to deliver the good components of Japanese taiko, and give life to the potentials in each taiko player here in the U.S.

また私のそばに素晴らしい太鼓プレイヤーがいる事が始めようと思った非常に大きなポイントです。基礎を大事だと思ってくれ、また自分自身を成長しようと思うプレイヤーがここには多くいます。そのような太鼓打ちを輩出していく事もこの会社の使命だと思っています。

Lastly, the major reason why I decided to start this company is because I am surrounded by amazing taiko players. Many of the players here put much respect in the foundation and philosophy of taiko, and take it upon themselves to incorporate it back into their lifestyle for their own growth. I believe it is our mission as a company to continue this cycle and produce more taiko players such as them, making a mark in the art and history of traditional Japanese music in America.

4. What are some of your observations regarding the North American taiko scene?

・コミュニティーを大事にしている
・太鼓楽しく打つ事を大事にしている（日本と違い表に出す）
・自分らしさを太鼓を使って自分なりに表現している
・ベテンランも学ぶ姿勢がある
・情報を共有している
・新しい道を探している

- They look after their community
- They value the ideal of enjoying taiko (compared to Japan, they openly express their emotions)
- Taiko is used as their way of expressing their individuality
- Even the seasoned veterans are in a humble stance to learn
- They share their knowledge and expertise
- They are always passionate and striving to broaden their horizon

5. In 2015, ATUS sponsored Kyosuke Suzuki sensei’s workshop tour of California, Oregon, and Washington. Can you talk about some other ways in which ATUS is contributing to advance the art form?

NATCへはここにある全楽器を持って行き貸し出しします。Taikoインビテーショナルへの楽器の貸出。日本からのゲストを呼んでWSを行ったり,交流と技術の習得を支援。

We lend all of our studio drums to TCA during the North American Taiko Conference, and also to Intercollegiate Taiko Invitationals. We invite artists from Japan to host various types of workshops to bridge American artists in hope that they can have more access to Japanese art forms. 

6. What products and services does ATUS offer in the Torrance facility as well as the online store?

Asano Taiko US in Torrance, California

浅野太鼓商品全般を販売しています。在庫が置いていない商品でも日本に在庫があれば１週間程で届くシステムができています。また販売に関して特注品（バチや衣装、その他の楽器、台など）も受け付けており、できるだけプレイヤーの要望に応えられるようにしています。祭り関係のお店とASANO TAIKO USが直接取引きがあるので太鼓に関わるものを大体提供できます。また太鼓の締め直しや革の張り替え。浅野の商品以外での修理も受けています、修理はASANO TAIKO USで行うので時間と費用が随分抑えられます。「太鼓の音を育てもらう」そうゆう風に楽器と一生付き合って行ってほしい願っています。Online shopも開設して全米、世界に向けて販売が可能になっています。

We sell Asano Taiko products here at Asano Taiko U.S. Products out of stock can be ordered from Japan and we will receive them in 1-2 weeks. We also accept customized orders mainly on costumes, bachi, taiko, and stands, hoping to cater to all the needs of the taiko player. Asano Taiko U.S. has direct contracts with many shops that carry festival goods, allowing us to be able to supply most items relating to taiko and we also offer reskinning and restretching service. We gladly accept repair orders even for non-Asano brand items, and since repairs are done on-site, time and cost can be reduced greatly. We have also established an online store so now customers throughout the world can place an order with us. 

7. Do you have any events coming up in the next several months?

4月バチBBQ
6月大江戸助六さんWS（予定）
7月ブリーチ祭り
8月NATC
12月発表会

April - Bachi BBQ (LATI event)
June - Oedo Sukeroku Taiko workshops
July - Bridge USA performance
August - North American Taiko Conference
December - annual recital

8. What are some long-term goals for ATUS and LATI?

より多くの人に「太鼓」に関わってもらう事。
Growth of the taiko community.

「和太鼓」という芸能の価値を高める事。
To branch out and root deep in hopes that “taiko” will become a higher valued art form.

太鼓プレイヤー全体のレベルアップ。
Improve skill levels of all taiko players.

日本では出来ない事をアメリカでやっちゃう（色々な意味で）。
Challenging many things that are possible only in the U.S.

---

Katsuji Asano of Asano Taiko US in Torrance, California

Born in 1983 into the famous Asano Taiko drum-making family, Katsuji Asano quickly discovered a love for both business and the arts.  After graduating from Kanazawa Institute of Technology in 2006, Asano joined the Percussion Division of Yamaha Music Trading Corporation. 

In 2006, Asano returned to taiko (Japanese drums), and began work at Asano Taiko, Inc. in Ishikawa prefecture.  He learned both the craft of Japanese drum-making and the business side of marketing, working directly with taiko artists.  With hopes of spreading the art of taiko on an international scale, Katsuji Asano opened Asano Taiko U.S., Inc. in 2013, the first facility of its kind outside of Japan to offer an instrument store, on-site workshop, and taiko school staffed by professional taiko players.

Links
Asano Taiko US
Los Angeles Taiko Institute
UnitOne